Effect of different sowing densities in mixed cultivation of blue lupin (Lupinus angustifolius) with spring crops on yield and quality

The aim of this investigation was to optimise the yield percentage of blue lupins in mixed cropping systems. Field experiments were conducted at two locations in Northern Germany (Institute of Organic Farming near Hamburg and Institute of Plant and Soil Science at Braunschweig). Two types of blue lupins, the determinate and branched type were cultivated together with spring barley, spring wheat or fodder peas in different seeding ratios (SR): 50% : 50%, 62,5% : 37,5 % and 75% : 25% of the respective pure cropping seeding rate. We present data on total grain yield, yield of blue lupins, yield percentage of blue lupins, protein content, and protein yield. Total grain yield decreased with increasing SR of blue lupins whereas, in contrast, the yield of blue lupins, protein content and protein yield increased. This shows the low competitive ability of blue lupins against the mixed cropping partners, particularly cereals. Therefore, the yield percentage of blue lupins in mixed cropping with cereals did not reach more than 25%. From the view of plant production and the purpose of animal nutrition the percentage of grain legumes should be higher and comparable to those of other crop mixtures like peas with spring barley or beans with oat

Yield and predicted feed quality of different German cultivars of blue lupins (Lupinus angustifolius)

In the present work different cultivars of blue lupins were tested at two sites, the experimental farm of the Institute of Organic Farming (IOF-site) at Trenthorst near Hamburg and the experimental station of the Institute of Plant and Soil Science (ICSS-site) at Braunschweig (conventional farming). The field experiments were conducted from 2003 – 2005 at the IOF-site and in 2006 and 2007 at the ICSS-site. At the IOF-site yield was 2,95 t ha-1 on average, whereas the mean yield at the ICSS-site was lower with 2.0 t ha-1. However, a significant interaction between cultivar and year was observed for yield (P<0.001 and P<0.01 for IOF-site and ICSS-site, respectively). At the ICSS-site the cultivars Vitabor, Boltensia, Borlu and Sonet showed the lowest yield. Yield was similar between the branched and determinate cultivars at both sites, but the crude protein content (CP) was in the majority of the cases higher in the branched cultivars. The CP content ranged between 28.2% and 37.8% DM at the IOF-site and between 34.7 and 39.2% DM at the ICSS-site, respectively. The newer cultivars Idefix and Probor, which were tested at ICSS-site in 2006 and 2007, had the highest CP content (39.2 and 38.8% DM). Additionally, the predicted Net Energy for Lactation (NEL) in dairy cow and the predicted Metabolized Energy for pigs (ME) showed interactions between year and cultivar with the exception of ME at the ICSS-site. Cultivars with a high NEL respectively ME were Bora, Boruta, Bolivio and Borlu at the IOF-site and Probor, Borlu, Idefix, Boregine and Boltensia at the ICSS-site

The nutritive value of lupins in sole cropping systems and mixed intercropping with spring cereals for grain production

In total 572 experimental plots were established at two sites during three years with different grain legume species, such as lupins, field beans and peas as well as mixed intercropping of different legumes or legumes with spring cereals for grain production. From all plots yield as well as quality and energy parameters of grains were analysed and the feed values calculated. Compared to soy bean meal yellow lupins have higher protein content but a low yield. While the energy content of lupins as feed for pigs, cattle and milking cows was only slightly higher than of soy bean meal, its feed energy for poultry was nearly comparable. In the case of mixed intercropping with spring cereals the feed energy content for pigs and cattle by using spring wheat or- barley as partner was higher than a comparable mixture of wheat and soy bean meal. The lowest feed energy contents were achieved with mixtures of legumes and oats. From the view of animal nutrition the parts of lupins in the mixed intercropping grains should be higher in the relation to spring cereals to increase especially the protein content

Evaluierung von Möglichkeiten zur biologischen Kontrolle der Reblaus durch den entomophagen Pilz Metarhizium anisopliae im ökologischen Weinbau

Seit einigen Jahren werden weltweit erneut Rückgangserscheinungen in Rebanlagen beobachtet, die auf Reblausbefall zurückgeführt werden. Reblausbefall an Wurzeln von Unterlagsreben kann zu vorzeitigem Blattfall, reduziertem Triebwachstum, Ertrags- und Qualitätsverlusten bis hin zum Absterben der Rebstöcke führen. Derzeit sind keine chemischen oder biologischen Pflanzenschutzmittel zur Reblauskontrolle verfügbar. Allerdings wurden in den letzten Jahren erhebliche Fortschritte bei der Entwicklung biologischer Schädlingskontrollorganismen erzielt. Innerhalb dieses Projektes wurden in einem Freilandversuch auf einer organisch bewirtschafteten Versuchsfläche die Effektivität, die Bodenpersistenz und die Einflüsse auf Non-target-Organismen von Metarhizium anisopliae untersucht. Hierbei wurden die mit Metarhizium behandelte Versuchsparzellen mit unbehandel-ten bzw. mit steriler Gerste behandelten Parzellen verglichen. Die Befallshäufigkeit (Porten & Huber 2003) der Rebstöcke mit Reblaus war dabei auf den mit Metarhizium behandelten Parzellen im Bereich der Fahrgasse signifikant geringer. Auch die Befallsintensität war signifikant reduziert. Zwei Monate nach der Applikation wurden für eine biologische Schädlingsbekämpfung ausreichende Dichten im Bereich der Fahrgasse festgestellt. Fünf Monate nach der Applikation wurden erhöhte Metarhizium-Dichten auch im Unterstockbereich auf den behandelten Parzellen gemessen. Bei den durchgeführten Non-target-Untersuchungen konnten im Versuchsvarianten-vergleich keine signifikanten Änderungen der Abundanz oder der Diversität bei Bodeninvertebraten (Ordungen Edaphon gesamt, Collembolen-, Carabiden- und Regenwurmarten) festgestellt werden. Auch bei den untersuchten konspezifischen Pilzzönosen wurden keine signifikanten Unterschiede zwischen den Versuchsvarianten festgestellt. Bei den oenologische Begeituntersuchungen (Ertrag, Beerengewicht, °BRIX, Most-pH) zeigten sich ebenfalls keine Unterschiede zwischen den untersuchten Versuchsvarianten

Aspects of Cultivation of Grain Legumes

Trotz guter Gründe für eine einheimische Erzeugung von Körnerleguminosen ist der Anbauumfang in Deutschland in den letzten Jahren stetig zurückgegangen. Hauptgründe sind die nicht ausreichende Ertragsleistung der Arten Erbse, Ackerbohne und Lupine sowie deutliche Ertragsschwankungen zwischen den Anbaujahren. Der Artikel gibt einen Überblick über das Inhaltsstoffspektrum der drei Körnerleguminosenarten und fasst die wesentlichen Aspekte ihres Anbaus zusammen. Besonderer pflanzenbaulicher Forschungsbedarf besteht hinsichtlich der Winterformen dieser Arten. Von entscheidender Bedeutung für den Erhalt des Körnerleguminosenanbaus in Deutschland ist das Fortbestehen der wenigen noch existierenden Zuchtprogramme für diese Arten sowie die Schaffung von inländischen Absatzmärkten und finanzieller Anreize für interessierte Landwirte.In spite of good arguments for home-growing of grain legumes their production areas in Germany decreased steadily for the last years. Main reasons are an unsatisfactory yield of the crop species pea, field bean, and lupin as well as considerable yield variation between years. This paper gives a rough survey of ingredients of the three grain legume species and summarizes the fundamental aspects of their cultivation. Special research requirements are seen in cultivation of winter types of these species. Special significance for preserving grain legume cultivation in Germany is attributed to the continuation of the few still existing breeding programmes as well as establishing domestic sales markets and financial impulsions for interested farmers

Best practice document for the coexistence of genetically modified potato with conventional and organic farming

The Technical Working Group (TWG) for Potato is the fourth one of the European Coexistence Bureau (ECoB) and is established for elaboration of the coexistence issues between genetically modified (GM) potato cultivation and non-GM potato and honey production in the EU. The present technical report analysed the possible sources for potential cross-pollination with GM potato and adventitious admixture of GM potato material such as seeds and pollen and presents consensually agreed by TWG for Potato best practices for coexistence. The terms of reference for this review are presented in Section 1. The scope of the Best Practice Document is coexistence in potato production in the EU. It includes the coexistence between GM potato cultivation and honey production. The ECoB TWG for Potato held two meetings in November 2015 and May 2016 and examined the state-of-the-art from scientific literature, research projects and empirical evidence provided by existing studies for segregation in potato production looking at the factors determining the cross-pollination rates in potato as well as other sources of admixture of GM material in conventional potato harvests and EU-produced honey. The review of this information (coming from a total of 155 references) is presented in a structured manner in Sections 4-6 of this document. Finally, the TWG for Potato reviewed the up to date approaches for the detection and identification of traces of GM potato material in non-GM potato harvests and honey (Section 7). The TWG for Potato of the ECoB, based on the analysis of the evidence summarised in this document submitted proposals for best management practices, which form the ground for the agreed consensus recommendations presented in Section 8, complemented by an ex-ante view about their economic impact (Section 9).JRC.D.4-Economics of Agricultur

Nanoscale plasmonic phenomena in CVD-grown MoS2 monolayer revealed by ultra- broadband synchrotron radiation based nano-FTIR spectroscopy and near-field microscopy

Nanoscale plasmonic phenomena observed in single and bi-layers of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) on silicon dioxide (SiO2) are reported. A scattering type scanning near-field optical microscope (s-SNOM) with a broadband synchrotron radiation (SR) infrared source was used. We also present complementary optical mapping using tunable CO2-laser radiation. Specifically, there is a correlation of the topography of well-defined MoS2 islands grown by chemical vapor deposition, as determined by atomic force microscopy, with the infrared (IR) signature of MoS2. The influence of MoS2 islands on the SiO2 phonon resonance is discussed. The results reveal the plasmonic character of the MoS2 structures and their interaction with the SiO2 phonons leading to an enhancement of the hybridized surface plasmon-phonon mode. A theoretical analysis shows that, in the case of monolayer islands, the coupling of the MoS2 optical plasmon mode to the SiO2 surface phonons does not affect the infrared spectrum significantly. For two-layer MoS2, the coupling of the extra inter-plane acoustic plasmon mode with the SiO2 surface transverse phonon leads to a remarkable increase of the surface phonon peak at 794 cm−1. This is in agreement with the experimental data. These results show the capability of the s-SNOM technique to study local multiple excitations in complex non- homogeneous structures

Crop rotations with and without legumes: a review

Leguminosen sind im ökologischen Landbau aufgrund ihrer Fähigkeit zur Luftstickstofffixierung unverzichtbar für die Stickstoffversorgung der Ackerkulturen und die Proteinversorgung der Nutztiere. Im konventionellen Anbau bieten Leguminosen die Möglichkeit, die häufig getreideintensiven Fruchtfolgen aufzulockern. Eine der wichtigsten Wirkungen dieses Break-crop-Effekts ist das Durchbrechen des Lebenszyklus von fruchtartenspezifischen Pathogenen und der damit verbundenen Einsparung von Pflanzenschutzmitteln. Die vorliegende Übersichtsarbeit stellt den derzeitigen Stand des Wissens zu Fruchtfolgen mit und ohne Leguminosen zusammen. Dabei werden ackerbauliche, ökologische und ökonomische Wirkungen des Anbaus groß- und kleinkörnig Leguminosenarten als Haupt- oder Zwischenfrüchte bzw. Unter­saaten oder als Komponenten in Gemengen dar­gestellt und bewertet. Der Schwerpunkt liegt dabei auf relevanten Publikationen in wissenschaftlichen Journalen sowie Praxis- und Forschungsberichten der Jahre 2010 – 2020 die in Deutschland oder vergleichbaren klimatischen Bedingungen durchgeführt wurden. Abschließend wird daraus der notwendige Forschungsbedarf für die Themenbereiche Pflanzenbau (konventionell und ökologisch), Pflanzenschutz, Ökonomie, Ökologie und Klimaschutz abgeleitet.In organic farming, legumes are indispensable for the nitro­gen supply of arable crops and the protein supply of livestock due to their ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen. In conventional farming, legumes offer the potential to break the often cereal-intensive crop rotations. One of the most important consequences of the break-crop effect is the interruption of the life cycle of crop-specific pathogens and the associated savings of pesticides. This review summarizes the current state of knowledge on crop rotations with and without legumes. It presents and evaluates the agronomic, ecological and economic effects of the cultivation of large- and small-seeded legume species as main or catch crops, when undersown in other crops, or used as components in mixtures. The focus is on relevant publications in scientific journals as well as practice and research reports published between 2010 and 2020 which were carried out in Germany or under comparable climatic conditions. Finally, essential research needs in the areas of crop production (conventional and organic), crop protection, economics, ecology, and climate protection are identified

Characterization of semiconductor materials using synchrotron radiation-based near-field infrared microscopy and nano-FTIR spectroscopy

We describe the application of scattering-type near-field optical microscopy to characterize various semiconducting materials using the electron storage ring Metrology Light Source (MLS) as a broadband synchrotron radiation source. For verifying high-resolution imaging and nano-FTIR spectroscopy we performed scans across nanoscale Si-based surface structures. The obtained results demonstrate that a spatial resolution below 40 nm can be achieved, despite the use of a radiation source with an extremely broad emission spectrum. This approach allows not only for the collection of optical information but also enables the acquisition of near-field spectral data in the mid-infrared range. The high sensitivity for spectroscopic material discrimination using synchrotron radiation is presented by recording near-field spectra from thin films composed of different materials used in semiconductor technology, such as SiO2, SiC, SixNy, and TiO2